So, speaking of Virgina Woolf and a "room of one's own"....I just got back from Prague (June 30) where I spent a month living the dream writer's life. I only had to write and listen to poetry lectures twice a week and workshop poetry. Technically, though I did not have a room of my own. I lived at a former communist dorm and it was pretty dismal - communal showers and the whole bit - and I'm talking communal, no nice stalls, no shower curtains, think junior high locker room without the niceties. I guess I shouldn't complain, I mean it was really nice to get up in the morning, walk to the Tram, which actually was *working* public transportation (remember I live in LA) that along with the bus and metro system could get you anywhere you wanted to go in the city. Generally I took the tram into Stare Mesto (old town) hop off and walk the several blocks off the beaten path to find a coffee shop or if it was later, pub for lunch and pull out my notebook and write. This was a daily routine and it was heaven. I figured when I got back to LA I would have established a routine and would be much more disciplined about getting up and carving out time to do some quality writing. Instead I started a blog. I guess I need to look at it as this now takes over the portion of time I devote to my journal and right after I sign off, it's back to the real work/pleasure of writing. But the thing is, I just know that I'll sign off and pick up my journal and write in it for a half hour before buckling down. Ah, whine, whine....what I really need is a job so my life is more structured and the time I have to concentrate on my own writing is limited and thus I'll be more focused. Recently my business partner, Nicole Criona, wrote an article on Ambition v. Dedication - you can read it by going to http://www.ezinearticles.com/?Ambition-versus-Decidation&id=51818 -
When I first got back from Prague, I was in the dedication category, today I'm feeling unambitious and undedicated. Is it the heat? Is it my lack of air conditioning? Or is it just one of those days that at some point all writers suffer through. The thing is, about 10 days after returning from Prague, I helped out a friend who was driving to Canada by driving to the halfway point of Boise Idaho with her and she and I stayed with my older sister for a night before she continued home. I then stayed on to visit with family for almost a week (3 brothers, 2 sisters). I flew back to LA on July 16 so I guess this is really my first routine week home so I'm finally noticing the heat, the nasty habits I had developed before leaving and the fact that no matter where you go, there you are. So here I am....sitting in a room of my own and whining for chrissake.....someone slap me upside the head!
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2 comments:
Get to work!
You can discipline yourself — you just have to do it, and then PRACTICE it, everyday. Make a schedule, a realistic schedule, including breaks for yourself (mental & physical). Also put in goals to shoot for — again, realistic, but goals that you will have to work towards. Put this schedule together, then impliment it.
For now, make a short goal of doing it — practicing — for one week. Start now. Don't wait til tomorrow. Then get back to us.
Hey Buq-Buq, thanks for the..um encouragement?...I was actually just having a whiny morning, I have goals, etc. and have been writing today, as I did yesterday. (And not just on the blog!) Sometimes I have those days where I feel less productive (and actually days where I read instead of write) I think it's all part of the process.
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